Examples of Antitropical and Antiequatorial Distribution of Indo-West-Pacific Fishes

Abstract

Hubbs (1952) introduced the term "antitropical distribution" in reference to species found north and south of the tropical zone but not in the tropics. To this may be added the term "antiequatorial distribution" for those animals and plants that occur south of the Tropic of Cancer and north of the Tropic of Capricorn but not within the equatorial latitudes. The following species of Indo-West-Pacific fishes not mentioned by Hubbs (1952) exhibit antitropical or antiequatorial distribution. Sphyraena zygaena, Cirrhigaleus barbifer, Meadia abyssalis, Lycodontis eurostus, Diaphus brachycephalus, Lepadichthys frenatus, Adioryx furcatus, Myripristis chryseres, Ostichthys archiepiscopus, O. oligolepis, Zenopsis nebulosa, Neosebastes entaxis, Aploactes aspera, Plectranthias kelloggi, Aulacocephalus temmincki, Amblycirrhitus unimacula, Cirrhitops fasciatus, Cheilodactylus vittatus, Trachurus novaezelandiae, Pseudocaranx dentex, Carangoides equula, Erythrocles schlegeli, Pristipomoides auricilla, Randallichthysfilamentosus, Pentapodus nagasakiensis, Pentaceros richardsoni, Histiopterus acutirostris, Microcanthus strigatus, Chromis chrysura, C. flavomaculata, Chrysiptera starcki, C. tricinctus, Bodianus vulpinus, B. perditio, B. leucostictus, B. izuensis, B. tanyokidus, Choerodon fasciatus, Novaculichthys woodi, Coris picta, Pseudojuloides elongatus, Suezichthys gracilis, Limnichthys fasciatus, Entomacrodus niuafoouensis, Kelloggella oligolepis, Psilogobius mainlandi, Coradion altivelis, Hemitaurichthys thompsoni, Genicanthus watanabei, Centropyge interruptus, Acanthurus leucopareius, Xanthichthys mento, X. lineopunctatus, Thamnaconus modestoides, T. hypargyreus, and Arothronfirmamentum. It is expected that other examples of this discontinuous north-south distribution will be revealed, particularly when systematic studies are completed for some groups of Indo-Pacific fishes in need of revision. Further collecting in tropical areas will undoubtedly invalidate some of the examples listed above as antitropical.